1985 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

The 1985 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season.[1] The team was coached by Gerry Faust and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

1985 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–6
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorA. J. Christoff
Captains
Home stadiumNotre Dame Stadium (c. 59,075, grass)
Seasons
← 1984
1986 →
1985 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Penn State       11 1 0
No. 9 Miami (FL)       10 2 0
Army       9 3 0
No. 15 Florida State       9 3 0
West Virginia       7 3 1
Southern Miss       7 4 0
Syracuse       7 5 0
Virginia Tech       6 5 0
Pittsburgh       5 5 1
Cincinnati       5 6 0
Notre Dame       5 6 0
South Carolina       5 6 0
Southwestern Louisiana       4 7 0
Navy       4 7 0
Temple       4 7 0
Boston College       4 8 0
Memphis State       2 7 2
Rutgers       2 8 1
East Carolina       2 9 0
Louisville       2 9 0
Tulane       1 10 0
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 142:30 p.m.at MichiganNo. 13CBSL 12–20105,523[2]
September 217:30 p.m.Michigan StateESPNW 27–1059,075
September 2812:00 p.m.at PurdueTBSL 17–3569,338
October 53:30 p.m.at No. 17 Air ForceABCL 15–2152,123
October 1912:00 p.m.No. 19 Army
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
USA, WGNW 24–1059,075
October 262:00 p.m.USC
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
W 37–359,075
November 23:30 p.m.Navy
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)
ABCW 41–1759,075
November 912:00 p.m.Ole Miss
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
USA, WGNW 37–1459,075[3]
November 163:30 p.m.at No. 1 Penn StateABCL 6–3684,000
November 2312:00 p.m.No. 17 LSU
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
USA, WGNL 7–1059,075[4]
November 303:30 p.m.at No. 4 Miami (FL)CBSL 7–5849,236

Roster

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1985 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 2 Terry Andrysiak So
QB 7 Steve Beuerlein Jr
WR 81 Tim Brown So
RB 20 Allen Pinkett Sr
FB 30 Frank Stams Fr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
SS 40 Pat Ballage Sr
LB 43 Rick DiBernardo Sr
DE 71 Eric Dorsey Sr
LB 48 Cedric Figaro So
LB 58 Tony Furjanic Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 18 John Carney Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

Game summaries

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at Michigan

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Notre Dame at Michigan
1 234Total
No. 13 Fighting Irish 3 630 12
Wolverines 0 3143 20
    

Michigan State

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At Purdue

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at No. 17 Air Force

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[5]

Army

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1 234Total
Cadets 0 730 10
Notre Dame 14 073 24

[6]

Notre Dame played the first half in navy blue jerseys and changed into green jerseys for the second half.

USC at Notre Dame
1 234Total
Trojans 0 030 3
Fighting Irish 14 1337 37
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Ole Miss

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Notre Dame finally had the opportunity to exact revenge on the Rebels for a 20-13 loss at Jackson eight years earlier.

Ole Miss at Notre Dame
1 234Total
Rebels 0 0014 14
Fighting Irish 3 14147 38
  • Date: November 9
  • Location: Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, Indiana

[7]

at No. 1 Penn State

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Notre Dame at Penn State
1 234Total
Fighting Irish 0 006 6
No. 1 Nittany Lions 7 13106 36

[8]

No. 17 LSU

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Ironically, Gerry Faust's last game in Notre Dame Stadium was against the same school he faced in his first game as Irish coach four years earlier.

LSU at Notre Dame
1 234Total
No. 17 Tigers 0 307 10
Fighting Irish 7 000 7

[9]

at No. 4 Miami (FL)

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Notre Dame at Miami (FL)
1 234Total
Fighting Irish 0 700 7
No. 4 Hurricanes 13 141021 58

[10]

Awards and honors

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Team players drafted into the NFL

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Player Position Round Pick NFL club

[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Notre Dame Yearly Results (1985-1989)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  2. ^ Tommy George (September 15, 1985). "U-M defense bogs down Irish, 20–12". Detroit Free Press. p. D1.
  3. ^ "Notre Dame crushes Ole Miss". The Courier-Journal. November 10, 1985. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Tigers attack Irish". The Indianapolis Star. November 24, 1985. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "NOTRE DAME KICKS ONE AWAY TO AIR FORCE". Chicago Tribune. October 6, 1985. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  6. ^ "Irish upset No. 19 Army to answer critics." Gainesville Sun. 1985 Oct 20.
  7. ^ Gainesville Sun. 1985 Nov 10.
  8. ^ "PENN STATE TROUNCES NOTRE DAME TO STAY UNBEATEN". The New York Times. November 17, 1985. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  9. ^ "Wickersham Passes LSU to 10-7 Victory Over Irish". Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1985. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  10. ^ "FAUST ERA AT NOTRE DAME ENDS IN 58-7 HUMILIATION". The New York Times. December 10, 1985. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  11. ^ "NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH - Football". Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  12. ^ "1986 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 22, 2019.